Video: Obama defends ObamaCare, IPAB

posted at 11:21 am on October 4, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

Earlier, I noted the difficulty of playing defense in a debate. Barack Obama gives a good example in this exchange last night with Mitt Romney on ObamaCare, an unpopular law, with Romney hitting one of its most unpopular features — the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), an unelected body that makes final policy on approval for Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements and coverage, which can only be overridden by a supermajority vote in Congress. Romney hits ObamaCare on nearly all fronts — its impact on businesses and hiring, its inability to contain costs, and the lack of individual choice inherent in the plan, especially the IPAB. Obama, in response, can only offer a few wan slogans — and the main one has already been proven false:

During Wednesday evening’s presidential debate, President Barack Obama repeated his support for the controversial Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) — often dubbed by conservatives as Obamacare’s “death panels” — in a back-and-forth with GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

“It — when Gov. Romney talks about this board, for example, unelected board that we’ve created, what this is, is a group of health care experts, doctors, et cetera, to figure out, how can we reduce the cost of care in the system overall?” Obama said.

“Now, so what this board does is basically identifies best practices and says, let’s use the purchasing power of Medicare and Medicaid to help to institutionalize all these good things that we do,” Obama added.

LifeNews also picked up on the exchange, a key moment in a fight Obama knew he’d have during this debate:

Romney also went after the Independent Payment Advisory Board, the health care rationing board that pro-life advocates repeatedly called for repealing because it would limit life-saving medical treatments.

“We didn’t put in place a board that can tell people ultimately what treatments they’re going to receive. We didn’t also do something that I think a number of people across this country recognize, which is put — put people in a position where they’re going to lose the insurance they had and they wanted,” he said.

“So for those reasons, for the tax, for Medicare, for this board, and for people losing their insurance, this is why the American people don’t want Obamacare. It’s why Republicans said, do not do this, and the Republicans had — had the plan. They put a plan out. They put out a plan, a bipartisan plan. It was swept aside,” he said. “I think something this big, this important has to be done on a bipartisan basis. And we have to have a president who can reach across the aisle and fashion important legislation with the input from both parties.

Obama offers a fairly rote defense of ObamaCare overall in the clip below (which doesn’t have the IPAB exchange), and by rote I mean “cliched.” He even trots out the “You keep your own insurance. You keep your own doctor” argument, which hasn’t been the case; the White House issued a blizzard of temporary waivers for insurance plans that met customer needs but didn’t meet ObamaCare’s formulas for one-size-fits-all coverage. Many more of these kind of plans — some of which make great sense for healthier consumers — have now disappeared, leaving only the option of more expensive comprehensive coverage for people who will never get the value out of the cost. Furthermore, millions of seniors got forced out of their Medicare Advantage plans, most of which disappeared after the passage of ObamaCare.

These are the exact same arguments that Democrats used in the 2010 midterms to defend their obsession with a takeover of the health-care industry while the economy festered. It didn’t work then, and it’s not sounding any better the second time around. Team Obama has had two years to come up with an original defense of ObamaCare, and the President offered nothing but a rerun.

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Shortly after Obamacare passed, my husband’s company announced they were no longer offering benefits to contractors, which meant we had to look elsewhere and then because of the cost decide which one of us was going to have health insurance. We couldn’t afford it for both of us.

Coincidence of timing? I think not. We liked our insurance, and we couldn’t keep it.

“Now, so what this board does is basically identifies best practices and says, let’s use the purchasing power of Medicare and Medicaid to help to institutionalize all these good things that we do,” Obama added.

Obama’s problem is that he thought it was a given that people knew the truth. But, his agitprops did a great job of blaming Palin for scaremongering that a large portion of people thought it was a snope.

UPDATE: He writes that new numbers indicate another another 12 ratings points from cable, “so that means almost half of all homes — about 46 percent — watched the debate the Indianapolis (Designated Market Area).”

BTW, my insurance changed immediately after Obamacare passed. My premiums went up on almost every plan available. To keep the same rates, I had to switch to a lesser plan that only allows me to access one chain of hospitals here in the Greater Houston area. So technically I was not able to keep my doctor if I liked my doctor.

Mention “Death Panels” around our left-wing friends for free entertainment. Then ask what they think of Sarah Palin as a follow-up. Take a couple steps back, though. They tend to slobber uncontrollably.

I couldn’t believe Obama doubled down on IPAB as he did. When Romney brought it up, I was certain Obama would say he was wrong, then deflect it by recounting some sob story about a kid who can now get his medicine or whatever. But, instead, he spent an inordinate amount of time trying to explain it, and it didn’t come across well.

Romney was clearly prepared for this exchange (like for all the others), and Obama was left wilting trying to defend his signature legislative achievement.

I kept my same insurance company – but guess what? My employer opted to keep the same insurance but had to cut the coverage to keep the bi-weekly cost the same for us employees (and they actually give you the breakdown of employee vs employer contribution).

So I get less coverage for the same amount of money, with the other option being to pay more for the coverage we used to get. Not exactly what I would call a win.

Remember when Sarah Palin was ridiculed as an alarmist nut job for suggesting Obamacare would usher in “death panels”? The New York Times called the “false ‘death panel’ rumor” a “boogey-man spell” that “resonated with some impressionable folk.”

Impressionable folk like Obama’s former “Car Czar” Steven Rattner?

We need death panels.

Well, maybe not death panels, exactly, but unless we start allocating health care resources more prudently — rationing, by its proper name — the exploding cost of Medicare will swamp the federal budget.

But in the pantheon of toxic issues — the famous “third rails” of American politics — none stands taller than overtly acknowledging that elderly Americans are not entitled to every conceivable medical procedure or pharmaceutical.

Hold on … the savior in chief’s health care overhaul won’t work without death panels doling out an Obama-approved “fair share” of health care?

I’ll be interested to see how the “women’s” vote responds to last night. There was obviously an Alpha Male on stage and it clearly wasn’t Obama; my sense is Romney will pick up a great deal of support from women.

Yes, but Romney had the wisdom not to even approach that term. That forced 0 to either defend them on their own merits (a Herculean task), or broach the “death panel” phrase himself… which would have made for some mighty amusing video.

Again, those death panels are doing exactly what pre-WWII Germany did to solve their incovenient old folks problem. They first killed them by innoculation, and when the common German citizen balked at seeing doctors for innoculations, they turned to a fat-free diet (sauerkraut)to kill them off in a few months.

It didn’t work then, and it’s not sounding any better the second time around. Team Obama has had two years to come up with an original defense of ObamaCare, and the President offered nothing but a rerun.

“Death Panels” is an exaggerated term to frighten the low-info voters; it’s meant to call up mental images of someone facing a group of Nazi-like figures who’ll decide if you live or die.

MelonCollie on October 4, 2012 at 11:57 AM

You’re completely wrong about that.

Death panels is what results from ALL gov’t health care systems. It starts as simple economics as the gov’t can’t afford to treat everyone. THen you get the death panel boards deciding who is more worthy of treatment.

Obama’s problem is that he thought it was a given that people knew the truth. But, his agitprops did a great job of blaming Palin for scaremongering that a large portion of people thought it was a snope.

Now, it’s real.

budfox on October 4, 2012 at 11:27 AM

He had to admit it. A guy from my church said his father was in Barnes Jewish Hospital here in St. Louis over the last few weeks and one of the top neurologists in the country is friends with the family and came down a couple of floors to check on the father. This doctor said that it’s a good thing the father’s episode happened when it did because they just got the guidelines for the new healthcare law and for people over 70 the treatments on the list of being paid for were almost non-existent.

The results of last nights debate (for Obama at least) are what happen when you don’t prepare and think you can wing it by being the smartest man in the room. What does this say about how Obama mind set and how he treats the office and by extension the American people which he’s supposed to serve and not the other way around?

The man is as I’ve always maintained. He’s nothing but a narcissistic, carpetbagging know-nothing who’s been given a free pass all of his life. Obama has never known hardship to test his character and he certainly has no clue about any of the legislation he’s been a party to aka APCAPA.

The man has lost face to his challenger. The world must be laughing at Obama and wondering how they can take advantage of him and by extension, the US.

After last nights performance, I truly believe that massive voter fraud was involved in electing Obama.

Again, those death panels are doing exactly what pre-WWII Germany did to solve their incovenient old folks problem. They first killed them by innoculation, and when the common German citizen balked at seeing doctors for innoculations, they turned to a fat-free diet (sauerkraut)to kill them off in a few months.

How else are they going to make their socialized economy appear to work and buy off illegals votes.

First they came for the old folks, then…..

Don L on October 4, 2012 at 11:49 AM

Yes old people, but it’s as much about children as well. The progressives that have written on the need for a death panels believe in the notion of ‘commmunity value’ to determine who gets healthcare. They draw a graph of community value that starts at near-zero for an infant, levels out between 15 and 40, and drops off after that. This is the same crowd that will throw an accidentally-born baby out with the dirty laundry, so this should not be a surprise.

If you have a baby born with a heart defect you will have to let it die. You are just a breeder anyway, you can have another one!

Don’t be surprised either if your political views enter into these decisions. Field Marshal Sebelius can see all your financial accounts, so if you wrote a check to your local Republican candidate in 2010, she will know.

Nice theory, but personally I’m not buying it. ~50% of the country is solidly sold on Progressive ideals.

MelonCollie on October 4, 2012 at 12:13 PM

I think you’re correct but still wonder how many of that 50% really understand them and agree on that basis rather than having been merely indoctrinated.

The average person I speak with on the subject of politics always gets brought up short when asked to detail or define their political philosophy. They know their talking points and will defend them vigorously but when asked to put them into a coherent context of an understanding of the role of government in the lives of individual citizens they don’t know what that means. Most don’t even seem to know that they HAVE a political philosophy, so I always hold out hope that when both are contrasted side by side some might begin to question their own positions.

I have mentioned, a couple of times, that there is an old saying “Everyone has skeletons in their closet”. This generally refers to things that one would rather not air in public, or become public knowledge.

Obama, when he’s gone off script, or teleprompter, has frequently had a large bone fall out of his mouth and land right in the center of the table. *THUD*

Gibbs, Carney, Axelrod, or some other of Obama’s surrogates or minions would dutifully come scurrying out, toss a napkin over the bone, and try to drag it off the table.

The problem, of course, being that we’d all already seen the bone lying there in the center of the table.

Last night, during the debate with Romney, when the bone fell out of Obama’s mouth and landed *Thud* in the center of the table, no one could come scurrying out to throw a napkin over the bone and drag it off of the table…. and the bones just kept falling *Thud, thud, thump, thud* until they rattled when they hit the table.

And that was just on domestic policy. I can’t wait for the debate on foreign policy.

Obama and Hillary Clinton’s careers and reputations lie trampled in the dust of Benghazi, the Middle Eastern region is in flames, and all of the hard won stability, purchased at the price of blood and treasure over the decades has been destroyed by their ineptitude and foolishness in four years, their ‘smart diplomacy’ and ‘soft power’ has them apologizing for this nation’s success, turning their backs on our allies, embracing our enemies, allowing our borders to remain porous and undefended, seen our foreign aid increased by 80% for no apparent reason and less result, and leaving out trade agreements in tatters.

It’s not going to change. Socialized Medicine is a failure and a death sentence, wherever it’s been tried. The U.S. gets “Medical Tourism” every day from countries with socialized medicine and Death Panels. On top of all that, like Mitt said, it’s a job killer! IPAB is only the first part, until it turns into the final deciding factor, over the Dr’s opinion, as cost outweighs the value of your life! Final Update for those following:How to take on the Obama Enemy media: http://paratisiusa.blogspot.com/2012/09/an-open-letter-to-those-who-should-know.html?spref=tw

These are the exact same arguments that Democrats used in the 2010 midterms to defend their obsession with a takeover of the health-care industry while the economy festered. It didn’t work then, and it’s not sounding any better the second time around. Team Obama has had two years to come up with an original defense of ObamaCare, and the President offered nothing but a rerun.

why come up w/a new defense? john roberts bought into it and thats all they needed.

That’s exactly what I asked an Obot signature person that came to my door one time. Wanted me to sign a petition supporting Obamacare. I asked him tell me one thing that B.O. has done FOR America. Told him I wasn’t signing any petition and a few more choice words (not cursing) and he almost fell off my porch backing away from me. Haven’t seen him since:-)

Democrats frequently refer to Republican use of the term “Obamacare” as evidence that they are racists – and that the country still treats black officials differently.

“They would never refer to a Republican reform by such a derogatory name,” liberal pundits have repeatedly said to me and others. (Never mind popular terms coined in years past like Reaganomics, Bushisms, etc.)

Let the record show that during Wednesday’s Denver debate, Barack Obama said this: “And let me tell you exactly what Obamacare did.”

Don’t be surprised either if your political views enter into these decisions. Field Marshal Sebelius can see all your financial accounts, so if you wrote a check to your local Republican candidate in 2010, she will know.

slickwillie2001 on October 4, 2012 at 12:23 PM

That’s true. In 2009 while this debate and Senate Committees were going on, many of the plans were available. Bank accounts were among them. Also not too many people are aware that many Amendments were voted on and added before the final version was rammed thru. I haven’t looked at my files lately, but still have the info.

“Death Panels” is an exaggerated term to frighten the low-info voters; it’s meant to call up mental images of someone facing a group of Nazi-like figures who’ll decide if you live or die.

I would presume that you’re referring to yourself as a low information voter. You may be right that invoking the images of Nazi’s casts a negative connotation to the IPAB, but the fact of the matter is that this panel is charged with reducing costs and thereby rationing health care as conservatives always believed. This isn’t better health care. It’s the government ( Socialists) seeking to seize an opportunity to tax and thereby control. The power to tax is the power to take away rights,property and even life itself.

Melon – actually the IPAB are death panels – they will use a matrix of age/condition/stage/cost to determine whether or not you will receive treatment to cure. I assume there will be some euthanasia component involved as has occured in some of the northern european countries.

If your matrix results comes up wrong – you are consigned to death, they will not authorize treatment to save you. That is a clear definition and the reality. I think it is the NICE panel in the UK – which is another reason there is a thriving private insurance system and treatment system in tthe UK for those with the means to access it. It isn’t an exageration. It is reality.

As to progressive theory or “stuff” having roughly 50% support throughout the country – I think that depends on which stuff you are referencing. SS and medicare are accepted because they are paid for directly by the taxpayers (well at least that is the appearance) – even amongst tea partiers. But progressivism means more to me than just social retirement and health benefits. It mean an increasingly active role for govt in the everyday life of Americans. Directing “investment” and controlling regulations. And in this case they do not. Of course it is all academic anyway – we cannot afford either anymore, and so the population will realize they must change course or go broke. The immorality of borrowing huge sums that our kids will have to pay back to the Chinese is actally gaining traction. I think the progressive tide will begin to wane, for the simple reason that it doesn’t work very well at what it professes to do, and we are out of money.

How many times has it been quoted that almost 50% of America pays no income taxes on this very site, you ZERO-information voter, and which political party do you think they register for and what do we call them? I’ll give you a hint: the first answer starts with “D” and the second answer starts with “L”.

Secondly, we WON’T presume that you can read minds , even though YOU seem to be convinced that you have that supernatural ability.

Thirdly, I’ll simply point YOU to the information that tells you pretty much who is Cacophonus Sphinctorus. Go look in the mirror. It’s you.

As of 2010, Gallup polling found that 31% of Americans identified as Democrats (tying a 22-year low), 29% as Republicans, and 38% as independents.[3] By 2011 Gallup found that Americans identifying as independents had risen to 40 percent. Gallup’s historical data show that the proportion of independents in 2011 was the largest in 60 years. This increase came at the expense of Republican identification, which dropped to 27%, while Democratic identification held steady from 2011. Nevertheless, more American independents leaned to the Republican Party when compared to the Democrat Party. Combining leaners with each party’s core identifiers, for 2011 the parties ended up tied at 45 percent

How many times has it been quoted that almost 50% of America pays no income taxes on this very site, you ZERO-information voter, and which political party do you think they register for and what do we call them? I’ll give you a hint: the first answer starts with “D” and the second answer starts with “L”.

MelonCollie on October 4, 2012 at 6:57 PM

Why don’t you try again Cacophonus Spinctorous. You seem like the typical HA mental midget bent on proving themselves right to the point of being OCD. Disclaimer: This is NOT to say that all or even most HA contributors are like this overly polished turd).

As of 2010, Gallup polling found that 31% of Americans identified as Democrats (tying a 22-year low), 29% as Republicans, and 38% as independents.[3] By 2011 Gallup found that Americans identifying as independents had risen to 40 percent. Gallup’s historical data show that the proportion of independents in 2011 was the largest in 60 years. This increase came at the expense of Republican identification, which dropped to 27%, while Democratic identification held steady from 2011. Nevertheless, more American independents leaned to the Republican Party when compared to the Democrat Party. Combining leaners with each party’s core identifiers, for 2011 the parties ended up tied at 45 percent